Mixer for concrete, cement, or other substances.



No. 836,190. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. J. JUDD.

MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANGES.,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1901.

I SHEETS-EHBBT 1.

alum Ma No. 836,190. I PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. J. JUDD.

MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES. APPLICATION FILED June. 1901.

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No. 836,190. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

' W. J. JUDD.

MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEB, 1901.

, ('39 7 SHEETS-SHEET 3 M QQ w kw q $4 i Q MO w. J. JUDD. MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1901.

' PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

J. JUDD. MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEB, 1901.

PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906 W. J. JUDD.

MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, 0R OTHERSUBSTANGES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNES, 1901.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6 No. 836,190. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. J. JUDD. MIXER FOR CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 1901.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. JUDD, ;OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C.

AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.

MIXER FOR'CONCRETE, CEMENT, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed June 8, 1901. Serial No; 63.672.

the matters to be mixed are fed into a mixer adapted for agitating and mixing the same,

the principles of my said invention being herein illustrated as applied to a mixer of the class in which the mixing device or apparatus involves a trough or chute provided at intervals along the assage-way thereof with means for causing t e mixing together of the passing materials and. also comprising means for s rayingsuch materials with water at a suita 1e point or points, an illustration of a mixer for concrete and the like of such class being, for example, aiforded by British patent to John Jackson, No. 172, of January 12, 1882, in which said patent the mixing-chute contains a series of inclined deflectors and is quantities of ii'ater' as the result of unskilled labor, to admit the material to the chute in determinate quantities, to automatically close the bottom of a hop er arranged to discharge into the chute a er such discharge has taken place, to permit the opening pf- 1s the hopper-bottom to cause the estab ment of a dischar e of water into or against the material whic passes from thehopper to the chuteassage, to automatically cut Fig. 2 is a like view with the device for auoff such flow 0 water when the hopper-bottom closes, and to effectively agitate and mix materials passing along the chute-passage.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the mixer in side elevation with a portion of the chute broken away for con venience of illustration. In this view a device for automatically controlling the flow ofwater is in position to 'cut off such flow.

tomatically controlling the flow of water in position to establish such flow. Fig. 3 represents the mixer in side elevation as viewed from a side at right angles to theside shown in preceding figures, a portion of the chute being broken away for convenience of illustration and the lower part of the chute illustrated being in central vertical section,

'so as to expose'one of thevibratory deflectors. Fig. 4 is a section on a vertical plane through theupper portion of the mixer. Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating on a larger.

scale a latch device for locking the hopper-bottom in a closed condition. Fig. 6 is an edge view of said latch device. Fig. 7 is .a section on a vertical central lane through the mixer with a portion 0 the chute broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 8 represents the upper portion of the mixer in side elevation and shows another construction of device or mechanism for locking the hopper-bottom in aclosed condition. Fig. 9 is a similar view with said locking mechanism brought into a different position by reason of the opening of the hopper-bottom, the hopper being broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 10 is 9. pers ective view of a vibratory member whic can be employed as a hopper gate or bottom for the hop er. Fig, 11 re resents the upper ortion o the mixer in si e elevation and s ows another form of water-controlling devicel 'Fig. 12 is a similar view with the water-controlling device in position to establish'the flow of water.

\ The chute A is providedat its receivin end with a ho per 1, having a bottom whic can be closed to permit a determinate or suitable quantity of the materials that are to be mixed to be 'placed within the'hopper,

bottom to open and close in any way consistent with the purpose for which it'is' intended, and I may also provide any suitable mechanical means for thus opening and closing the hopper-bottom.

As a matter of further improvement my invention contemplates locking the hopperbottom in aclosed position by any suitable I as illustrated in Fig. 7. The hopper-bottom open, so as to dump or discharge the contents mechanical means and the automatic opening of such hopper-bottom when it is unlocked.

My invention further contemplates the automatic establishment and cutting off of a jet or jets of water employed for the purpose of wetting the materials which pass from the hopper or chute entrance to and alo the main way or passage afforded by the c ute, and it also contemplates utilizing the weight of the material as an agent for actuating the water-controlling means, so as to automatically establish a flow of water at a time when its application to material passing through the chute is needed.

As a matter of still further improvement my invention also contemplates either the establishment of such flow or the cutting off of the same, or both the establishment and cutting off of such flow of water, by the movement of the hopper-bottom through any suitable means or synchronously with the movement of the hopper-bottom by any means suitable for such p ose.

In the construction illustrated the hopper 1 has its bottom composed of a couple of hinged doors or sections 2, hung at opposite sides of the hopper and arranged to bring their free edge portions against the under side of a stop when the hopper-bottom is closed, as in Figs. 4 and 7. In Fig. 4 the rocking pintles or pivots 3 for the bottom sections of the hopper are shown outside the chute, and said sections close upwardly against stops secured to opposite wallsof the chute-passage, one of such stops 4 being illustrated, while in Fig. 7 the rocking pintles 3 extend through lateral enlargements 5 of the chute-passageand the bottom sections close upwardly against a stop formed by a cross-bar 6.

The hopper-bottom can be formed by a single gate or door or by gate-sections, as illustrated, and weight or spring power can be employed for closing the hopper-bottom, but permitting it to yield to the weight of material thereon, andthereby automatically the ho per into the chute-passage. The hopper h ottom can also be temporarily locked ina closed condition by any suitable latching means, so that after the hopper has discharged its contents into the chute-passage the spring or weight ower will automatically close the hopper-hottom and permit it to be locked in a closed condition. Preferably the latching device-is manually operated to release the hopper-bottom and allow it to open and arranged to automat-- ically lock the hopper-bottom when the latter assumes a closed condition. y

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 a vibratory latch B-is employed to automatically lock the hopperbottom in a closed condition. Said latch is pivoted at 7 upon the mixer-casing and is arranged to permit its upper end portion to pro ect through an opening 8 in the mixercasing and engage under and support the meeting edge portions of the vibratory hopper-bottom sections 2. This latch has an arm 8 to which an operating rod or cord 9 or the like, Fig. v3, is-attached. By drawing down such cord 9 the latch will be freed from the hopper-bottom sections, whereby the weight of material on the latter will cause them to swing downwardly. The latch is caused to normally maintain the position shown in Fig. 5 by a weight or springfor example, a spring 10and the upper portion of the latch has a beveled face portion 11, with which the Vibratory sections 2 will engage when they are swinging upwardly, so as to push back the latch until the sections close against the stops, at which juncture the latch will again assume the position shown, and thereby engage under the vibratory sections 2.

As an illustration of another form of latch- I to swing the crank-arms in direction to normally bring such gates or sections 2 into position to close the passage between the hop-.

per-space and the chute-passage, and catches or latches C, arranged for engaging and looking the crank-arms when the latter are in position to thus place the hopper-bottom in a closed condition, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In order to release the catches C from the crankarms, the catches can be operated by any suitable mechanical meansfor example, by a pull device D, consistingof a rod, chain, or cord 14, having portions 15 connected with the outer ends of the catches, whereby a downpull on such pull device will simultaneous'ly release the catches from the crankarms, and thereby permit the weight of material on the gates or sections which form the hopper-bottom toopen such gates or sections and pass down into the chute, the positions of the crank-arms when the hopper-bottom is thus opened being illustratedby Fig. 9.

After the crank-arms have been released and the weight of material in the hopper has caused its bottom portions to swing downwardly to an extent to permit the'crankarms 12 to clear the catches C the pull device can be released, and thereupon the catches will be moved by spring or weight power into substantially the position shown in Fig.- 8, a simple way of thus automatically righting the catches being to provide the inner end of each catch with weighted portions 16. The catches thus, restored to their normal position will be in"-'readiness to again engage the crank-arms, and hence after the hopper IIO has been emptied of its contents the springs close the hopper-bottom portions, and in so with the catch-shoulders doing the crank-arms will engage and ride over the catches and again come into engagement back of such beveled portions, as in Fig. 8. The extent of movement on the part of these catches can be limited in any convenient wayas, for example, by stops 18' and .19 on the mixercasing.

E, Figs. 7, 11, and 12, indicates a laterally apertured water-spray pipe arranged to extend transversely within the chute-passage at a point below the hopper-bottom, so as to spray the materials passing down through the chute-passage.

Where the hopper-bottom com rises a couple of sections or portions whic swing relatively apart, as shown, the arrangement of the jet or spray pipe across the middle of the chute-passage is veryeffective, since when the hopper-bottom portions are open, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, they will deflect the material toward such jet-pipe. Where, however, the hopper-bottom opens in a different way-as, for example, where it is preferred to provide the hopper with a single swinging bottomthe jet-pipe can of course be arranged with reference to the course of the material.

The jet-pipe can be opened and closedby any suitable or desired valve or cut-off for controlling the supply-for example, a gatevalve F, Figs. 11 and 12. As illustrated, this valve or cut-ofl has a sliding stem 20 and is opened a ai'nst the resistance of a s ring 21, arranged etween a stop 22 on the chute and a stop or shoulder 23 on the stem. ,Means are also rovided whereby the opening of the hop erofl evice' to open the jet-pipe.

As illustratedin Figs. 11 and 12, the valve or cut-off is opened by a couple of cam-levers G, pivoted'at their inner ends to the chute, as at 24, and having their outer ends connected with the journals ('ir pintles of the hop per-bottom sections by toggles H. By such arrangement the toggles will be bent, and the valve will be closed when the hopper-bottom is closed and when the hopper-bottom is opened-the-toggles will have a straighteningout action and in so doing'will swing the camlevers in opposite directions, whereby the portions of such levers engaging upon stop or shoulder 23 on the valve-stem will depress the valve-stem, as in Fi 12, and hence o n the valve. After the opper contents has been discharged the 13, Figs. 8 and 9, will cause the toggles a cam-levers to re-- turn to their normal positions, (shown in Fig. 11,) and the sp g 21 will operate to close the valve or cut -0 v As a preferred and simpler'arrangement for permitting the wei ht of the material to automatically establis a flow of water dibeveled end portions 17 of theillustrated'by Fig ottom will cause such valve or cut-- signed for carrying out t rected against such material the form of device for releasing and automatically lockin the hopper-bottom articularly illustrate by Figs. 8 and 9 and t e form of device for opcrating-the valve from the hopper-bottom s. 11 and 12 can be simplified, as illustrated by the first six figures of the drawin s, which include the latch B, hereinbefore escribed.

In Figs 1, 2, and 3 a slide-valve similarto the'valve F of-Figs. 11 and 12'can be employed, and such valve can be normally closed by spring 21, arranged between a stop or shoulder 23 on the valve-stem and stop'22, arranged on the mixer-casing and forming a guide for the valve-stem. The lower end portion of the valve-stem in said first three gures is attached to a slide or carrier D, comprising an upper portion 25, connected by rods'26 with a lower portion and carrying a couple of antifriction-rolls I, which are maintained by spring 21 in engagement with cam-arms K on the intles or journals of the ,vibratory hop erottom sections. The

slide or carrier can be guidedin any suitable way-for exam 1e, it may have a stem 27, arranged to wor through a guide 28 in the mixer-casing-and the cam-arms can be normall maintained in position to close the l ppperottom by a sprin 29, as in Fig. 1. en, however, the latch is freed from the hopper-bottom, the sections of the latter will swing downwardly and in so doing will swing the cam-arms from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and in such movement said arms en agin the antifriction-rolls I will depress t e sli e D, and Ehereby open the valve. Practically, thereore, ing means shown the weight of the material acting u on a vibratory member moves or swings t e latter, which in turn actuates a valve-action in a way to turn on a flow of water directed a ainst material passing through the chute. arious ex eoients can be dea principle ofoperation. The foregoing devices, however, are deemed suflicient to illustrate such fact.

with both of the forms of valve-actuat-.

The chute may; contain any known or de- I provide one or more vibratory separating and deflecting devices M, comprising a pa r of downwardly-diverging deflecting plates or surfaces. 30, which converge upwardly to a separator-plate 31, arranged to'project up,

from the apex formed by the junction-of plates 30 and adapted to deflect the passing.

material to opposite sides of the chute-passage and compel the passing material to take an irregular path whether the chute be vertical or mchned, and it also constitutes a portion 31 will divide the passing material, causing part to fall upon one and part to fall combined separator and deflector, since its it being understood that this portion of my invention broadly consists in utilizing the weight of a charge or quantity of material as upon the other of the deflecting-surfaces 30. i a means for automatically establishing flow Said device also operates, therefore, as a vi- I bratory agitator, having surface portions arranged whereby the materials falling upon them will cause the device to vibrate, as where a greater weight of material impacts against one of the inclined deflecting-surfaces 30. The vibratory member or members M is or are arranged within the chute-passage and pivotally supported in any suitable wayas, for example, by journals having their bearin s in thewalls of the chute-passage.

rom the foregoing it will be seen that the hopper-bottom, Whether composed of one or more tilting parts or sections, is normally locked in a closed condition, and hence that an attendant may, lace within the hopper a quantity of mate 'al determined with reference to the quantityitis desired shall pass through and be discharged from the chute. After a desired quantity of material has been placed or let into the ho .per the attendant can unlatch the hopperottom, whereupon the weight of such material will cause the hopper-bottom to automatically open and automatically discharge its contents into the chute-passage, which contains the mixing means. After such discharge of materia has taken place the hopper-bottom can be closed and. again locked, and while such closing or locking, or both,- could be manually accomplished I provide as a matter of further-im rovement suitable means for automatical y closing the hopper bottom after such discharge and for automatically locking the hopper-bottom in its closed position,

thereby relieving the attendant from the labor of closing or locking or closing and locking the hopper-bottom.

As a matter of further improvement the hop er-bottom can also serve to establish a disc arge of water directed to .wet the material which passes from the'hopper to the chute-passage, and while the closing of the ho per-bottom could positively close the va ve or cut-off which governs the supply of water I provide as a matter of further improvement means for automatically closing the valve or cut-off synchronously with the closing of the hopper-bottom, the closing of which latter permits such automatic closing of the valve or cut-off. Broadly considered, however, the weight of the material serves to open the water-supply, since the tilting member is tilted downwardly 'by the passage of the material and when thus tilted serves to actuate a valve device in a way to establish the flow of water.

This automatic water-supply means can be employed in a mixer for mixing water and concrete or the like-that is to say, any material or matters requiring such treatmentsuch material in a mixer for concrete or the like regardless of the form or construction of the mixer. It is also evident that with the construction of devices shown the material is thrown or diverted laterally to a line between the charging and discharge openings of the mixer, and hence that, broadly considered, the material is charged with water by reason of the Weight of such material acting upon a movable member, which in turn serves to open a water-supply device in a mixer in whic the material is agitated and mixed with the water.

It will also be obvious that where it is desired to shovel concrete or the like into the chute continuously for any length of time the hopper-bottom can be held in an open condi-' mixing devices arranged within the chute or trough it will be seen that each mixing member is pivotally supported and arranged to swing about a fixed axis which is transverse to the length of the passage afforded by the chute or trough, in contradistinction, for example, to Letters Patent of the United States to Chatain & Gilletti, No. 413,820, October 29, 1889, in which the mixing devices consist ofv suspended chains; also, that the inclined deflectors which converge-inwardly from opposite sides of the chute or trough deflect the material toward thecentrally-pivoted vibratory mixin devices arranged to oscillate about axes below the spaces between the deflectors in contradistinction, for example, tomixers such as in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 155,212, of September 22, 1874, to P. White, showing a gravity mortar-mixer consisting of a chute or trough presenting an inclined surface formed by the bottom portion of the trough and a set of mixin devices which operate about an axis paralle with the length of the chute or trough passage.

With further reference to the device for supplying water the mixer receives and;

mixes together the ingredients by agitation thereof, the hopper being provided for receiving the ingredients and supplying the same to the mixer. Broadly considered, the hopper-bottom is a valve normally in position to close communication between the hopper and the interior of'the mixer and operating to open such'communication when it sustains a predetermined weight of ingredients which have been fed into the hopper in order to supply the mixer. A device for suplying water to the ingredients is controlled by mechanism which automatically establishes a flow of water from and by the action of the said valve when such action of the latter is induced by the weight of the ingredients thereon, the mechanism also including means for subse uently cutting off the flow ing the catch from the gate to permit it to open.

2. A mixer for concrete and the like, comprising a chute containing means for mixing the passing material; a couple of hinged gates for opening and closing the chute-passage; means for automatically closing and temporarily locking the gates; and means for simultaneously unlocking both gates.

3. A mixer for concrete and the like, com prising a chute containing a vibratory deflectorhaving a deflecting lower portion and a material-dividing upper portion.

4. A mixer for concrete and the like, comprising a chute containing a vibratory deflector having downwardly-diverging deflectingsurfaces.

5. A mixer for concrete and the like, comprising a chute containing a vibratory deflector having downwardly-diverging deflecting portions, and a deflecting and material-dividing portion rising from the junction of the I downwardly-diverging deflecting portions.

6. A mixer for concrete and the like, com

prising a chute containing means for mix-' ing the passing material; a hopper having a downwardly opening bottom; means for locking the hopper-bottom in a closed posi-- tion; means for supplying water to material passlng from the hopper into the chute passage; means for establishing the flow of water when the hopper-bottom opens; and

material; a valve device means for cutting off such flow of water when the hopper-bottom closes.

7. The combination with a mixer for concrete and the like having a tilting member which is operated by the Weight of material thereon, of means for sup lying water to the fldrestablishing and cutting off the flow of water; a movable member connected with and operated by the movement of said tilting member and connected with the valve device; spring means arranged in opposition to the downward tilt of the tilting member; and spring means arranged in opposition to the opening of the valve.

8. A gravity-mixer for concrete and the like, comprising a chute or trough, and an automaticallyoperating vibratory mixing device pivotally supported within the chute or trough and arranged to oscillate about an axis transverse to the length of the passage through the chute or trough and to automatically yield to the weight of passing material, wherebyit is operated by the material passing through the chute or trough. I

9. A gravity-mixer for concrete and the like, comprising a chute or trough; inclined deflectors projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the chute or trough and conveying downwardly; and an automaticallyoperating vibratory mixing device arranged to oscillate about an axis which is transverse to the length of the chute or trough and'below the space between the lower ends of said deflectors.

10 In a gravity-mixer for concrete and the like, a chute or trough; an automaticallyoperating vibratory mixing device presenting an inclined surface to the passing material and arranged to automatloally yield to the "weight of such passing material which thereby serves to operate the vibratory mixing device; and an inclined deflector projecting inwardly from thewall of the chute or trough and arranged to deflect the passing material against the inclined surface of the vibratory mixing device.

- J. ,JUDD.

. Witnesses:

CHARLES G. PAGE, O'r'rnJE C. FREIBEBG. 

